The present invention relates to a substrate treatment apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate treatment apparatus which treats a substrate using treatment liquid.
A substrate treatment apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 162426/1992, in which substrate treatment such as cleaning is performed on a semiconductor substrate or a plate, such as glass plate for liquid crystal manufacture or photomask use. The apparatus includes a loader carrier on which a cassette vertically storing a number of wafers is set, a transport robot in a loader which removes a substrate from a substrate container on the loader carrier, a rotating brush mechanism for cleaning the front and back surfaces of the substrate simultaneously, and a rotating and drying mechanism which rotates and dries the cleaned wafer.
In the substrate treatment apparatus, the loader transport robot removes the plates one by one from the substrate container that is on the loader carrier. At this time, the substrate container and the substrate are exposed to clean air. Both end surfaces of the substrate that is removed by the transport robot are supported by the rotating brush mechanism and the front and back surfaces are cleaned simultaneously. The cleaned wafer is rotated and dried by the rotating and drying mechanism while opposite edges thereof are supported, and then the dried wafer is put on an unloader carrier.
During handling by the substrate treatment apparatus, the substrate is transported in air that is in a dried state, until a deionized water substrate-cleaning treatment is carried out. More specifically, while the wafer is being transported for the cleaning treatment and while the wafer is waiting for the cleaning treatment, the wafer is in drying contact with air. If the wafer is in contact with the air and dries, it is possible that a natural oxide film will grow superficially on the wafer from oxygen in air, or that air particlulates or chemical agents become fixed to the wafer surfaces.